Jersey-fresh and ready for your holiday table

Prefer a farm-to-table turkey to a supermarket bird this Thanksgiving?

To make your holiday Jersey-fresh, here's a list of New Jersey farms that sell turkeys raised locally or nearby. The farms are taking orders now, so if you're planning on buying a local bird this year, it's best to act soon. Here's a selection of farms to get you started.

Farms that are sold out of turkeys for the season are not listed here. If you know of another N.J. farm that raises fresh turkeys, please tell us in the comments below.

• Abma's Farm in Wyckoff has "fresh killed" turkeys for $3.19 a pound, from as small as 8 to 10 pounds to as big as 35-plus pounds. The farm is at 700 Lawlins Road; call 201-891-0278 or visit abmasfarm.com

RELATED: The case for the cranberry, New Jersey's native Thanksgiving fruit

• Ashley Farms in Flanders (Mount Olive Township) has fresh "homegrown" turkeys from 14 to 45 pounds available through December and fresh-frozen turkeys all year. The farm is at 25 Hillside Ave. Call 973-584-7578 or visit ashleyfarmsonline.com and the farm's Thanksgiving page.

• Churutabis Farm in Frankford Township sells fresh turkeys that range from 15 to 30 pounds. The farm is at 53 Hyatt Road in Branchville; pickup is the Sunday before Thanksgiving at 50 Hyatt Road. Call 973-271-2979, visit churutabis.com or email 

  hannelie@churutabis.com

John DeGroot checks a turkey at Ashley Farms in Flanders in 1995. (Star-Ledger file photo)
 

• DiPaola Turkey Farm in Hamilton has free-range turkeys and turkey products. The farm store is at 883 Edinburg Road in Hamilton. Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday and noon to 4 p.m. Saturday. Call 609-587-9311 or visit dipaolaturkeyfarm.com

• Double Brook Farm in Hopewell has Narragansett, Black Spanish, Bourbon Red, Broad-Breasted Whites and Bronzes and Blue Slate free-range turkeys. Double Brook's Brick Farm Market is at 65 E. Broad St. in Hopewell. Fresh turkeys are $6.50 per pound, ranging from 8 pounds to 28-plus pounds. A $20 deposit is required and turkeys will be available for pickup Nov. 23 through 25. Call 609-466-3594 or 609-466-6500 or visit brickfarmmarket.com 

• Flatbrook Farm in Sandyston sells fresh turkeys that are raised on a pasture and fed "transitional organic feed" for six months. "Towards the end of the life cycle our birds are mature, strong, and fully expressing their individuality," staff say on the farm website, which lists the turkeys at $7 per pound, with a $20 deposit required for Thanksgiving. Flatbrook Farm is at 3 Degroat Road in Branchville; closed except for during pickup times. Call 973-948-2554 or email flatbrookfarm@flatbrookfarm.com to place an order and ask about pickup schedule; visit flatbrookfarm.com 

Red Bourbon and Standard Bronze heritage turkeys that Griggstown Farm in 2009. (Aristide Economopoulos/The Star-Ledger)
 

• Goffle Road Poultry Farm in Wyckoff, which raises turkeys in "open turkey porches," has birds ranging from 10 pounds to 26-plus pounds. The farm is at 549 Goffle Road. Call 201-444-3238 or visit gofflepoultry.com

• Gordon Dey Farm in Cranbury has fresh, organic turkeys which are raised in Pennsylvania. The farm is at 215 Dey Road. Call 609-395-0232 or visit the farm's Facebook page.

• Griggstown Farm in Princeton has fresh, free-range plain or brined turkeys available for pickup at various locations including Princeton, Bernardsville and Flemington. The farm store is at 484 Bunker Hill Road. Call 908-359-5218 or visit griggstownfarm.com 

• Hinck Turkey Farm in Manasquan raises young turkeys from shortly after they hatch and sells them both fresh and frozen. Hinck also has Turducken breasts. The farm is at 1414 Atlantic Ave. Call 732-223-5622 or visit hincksfarm.com

• Lee Turkey Farm in East Windsor has fresh turkeys from October through Jan. 2 and raises about 5,000 turkeys a year; advance orders required for Thanksgiving. The farm is at 201 Hickory Corner Road. Call 609-448-0629 or visit leeturkeyfarm.com

Turkeys at Goffle Road Poultry Farm in Wyckoff in 2005. (Star-Ledger file photo).
 

• Lima Family Farms in Hillsborough has pastured turkeys available for pre-order at $5.25 per pound -- ranging from 12 to 24-plus pounds -- at its farm store and various farm markets. The Lima farm store, open 1 to 5 p.m. Thursday and Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, is at 826 Amwell Road. Deposits are $40; cash or check only. Pickup is the Tuesday and Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Call 908-336-8238 or visit limafamilyfarms.com

• Mallery's Grazin' Meats in Skillman has fresh, grass-fed organic turkeys at $10 per pound; $50 deposit required. The farm store is at 382 Georgetown Franklin Turnpike (Route 518). Call 609-309-5451 or visit mallerysgrazinmeats.com

• Spring Valley Turkey Farm in Old Bridge raises its turkeys in a pen ("cage-free environment"). They range from 25 to 35 pounds, which means they top out at a processed weight of 18 to 30 pounds. The farm is at 402 Spring Valley Road in Old Bridge. Call 732-970-5265 or visit springvalleynj.com

• Three Meadows Farm in Bedminster has fresh turkeys ranging from 12 to 30 pounds. The farm is at 1130 Burnt Mills Road; call 908-719-7781 or visit threemeadowsfarmnj.com

• Totten Family Farm in Long Valley has heritage-breed pastured turkeys. They can be reserved with a $50 deposit. The farm is at 442 Naughright Road. Call 908-850-0555 or visit tottenfamilyfarm.com

• Vacchiano Farms in Washington Township, Warren County, has free-range turkeys. Farm staff visit the Montclair Farmers Market from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Saturday at the Walnut Street train station; they are at the Summit Farmers Market from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Sunday at the corner of Deforest Avenue and Maple Street. Call 908-310-5625 for more information or visit vacchianofarm.com

• Vernon Valley Farm in Sussex has pasture-raised turkeys at $6.50 a pound. The farm is at 99 Sandhill Road. Call 973-209-4829 or visit vernonvalleyfarm.com

The hospital's response to nurses supporting their union on Facebook and other social media briefly became a sticking point in negotiations, according to the union.

When can your Facebook posts get you in trouble with the boss?

That issue, which has already roiled workplaces from schools to police departments, was front and center in recent contract negotiations involving two New Jersey hospitals and the nurses' union.

Some 1,200 nurses at Southern Ocean Medical Center and Jersey Shore University Medical Center ratified their new contract with parent company Meridian Health Monday, paving the way for resolution of a dispute over Facebook posts.

Nurses in a contract dispute with Meridian Health System posted signs of support on their union's Facebook page - which resulted in warnings from management, according to the union. (Photo from Health Professionals and Allied Professionals Facebook page)  

During contract negotiations, the union, Health Professionals and Allied Employees, took its beef about staffing levels to the general public, handing out leaflets and even sending out a giant billboard mounted on a flatbed truck.

Its outreach also included employees posting supportive comments on their social media accounts - which triggered a reaction from the hospital, said Bridget Devane, public policy director for the union. "We were just using another medium to get our message out," she said.

That didn't go over well with the hospital, however.

"Management started to tell nurses they're not allowed to post on social media sites anything about Meridian," she said. "They said it violated their social media policy."

Union representatives requested a copy of that policy. "Once we read it, we realized it violated nurses' rights. It's extremely vague, and broad enough that it goes against their union rights. They have a right to speak out."

No nurse was actually disciplined for having posted something, but the threats alone had staffers nervous, Devane said.

Late last month, the union filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board.

The hospital declined to comment on the situation, according to a spokesman.

In the meantime, contract negotiations continued, and an agreement was ratified by the nurses on Monday.

As part of the agreement, the NLRB complaint was withdrawn. The hospital will work with the union to revise its social media policy, Devane said.

"We of course would protect patients. We wouldn't want nurses to post anything that violated a patient's rights. But this violated nurses' rights," Devane said of the original social media policy. "We understand management's need to create a policy, but not to be so broad and vague that union activity could be disciplined."

So many companies have been drafting overly broad social media policies that the NLRB has issued advisories and guides to help them avoid running afoul of protected speech, said James M. Cooney, a professor at Rutgers University's School of Management and Labor Relations. 

"It's a tough area for employers to navigate," he said.

Workers - even those whose workplaces aren't unionized - have a right to discuss workplace conditions and complaints in any medium, new-fangled or old-fashioned, he said.

"That means every single employer in the private sector has to be concerned about this," he said. 

An employee could vent about dangerous conditions, or shift assignments, or other workplace policies, and have that speech protected. However, there are limits, said Cooney, who is also an attorney and labor arbitrator. Complaints about an individual supervisor or an individual situation don't come with that same federal protection, he said.

Nor could an employee expect any federal protection if he or she criticized a customer or a client. "That's something an employee could be disciplined over," Cooney said. 

In the rush to embrace social media, Cooney said, many employers have ended up with employee policies that are unnecessarily broad. "Employers want the benefits of social media, but God forbid a union come into town and their employees start posting about that," he said. "They can't have it both ways.

Kathleen O'Brien may be reached at kobrien@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @OBrienLedger. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Wednesday night's four-hour hearing, preceded by a 90-minute open-house, was the first of two opportunities the public has to comment on the controversial project before a federal agency decides whether to approve or veto the application by Liberty LLC.

EATONTOWN -- The final showdown on a proposed liquefied natural gas facility off the coast of New Jersey kicked off Wednesday night with proponents touting the safety and need for a project that opponents insist poses a serious threat to the state's environment and economy.

Wednesday night's four-hour hearing, preceded by a 90-minute open-house, was the first of two opportunities the public has to comment on the controversial project before a federal agency decides whether to approve or veto the application by Liberty LLC.

While Liberty says the proposed terminal would bring jobs and a steady supply of natural gas to the region, opponents contend the abundance of natural gas in the United States makes the import facility unnecessary. They have accused the company of using the proposal as a way to instead eventually turn the terminal into an export facility.

"This facility is being built for one reason and one reason only," said Andrew Coleman, president of the Bus For Progress Group, a non-profit organization that encourages community involvement. "That is to export fracked gas from New York and Pennsylvania."

MORE: Proposed facility off coast draws criticism from hundreds - again

Coleman was one of more than 100 of residents, elected officials and environmental advocates who urged the U.S. Maritime Administration to veto the Port Ambrose liquefied natural gas facility proposed for an ocean site 24 miles off the coast of New Jersey and 13 miles off Long Island.

Speaker after speaker at Wednesday night's public hearing at the Sheraton hotel in Eatontown had virtually the same same messages for MARAD officials. They said the abundant supply of natural gas in the United States negates the need for importing the fuel and they expressed concerns over the potential for an environmental disaster.

Proponents, who were primarily union members and union representatives, cited the jobs the facility would bring to the area and they claimed opponents exaggerate the environmental risk such a facility would pose.

Proponents invoked scientific studies to back up their claims.

But Tim Dillingham, executive director of the American Littoral Society, questioned the validity of those studies and cited the statements from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that the environmental impact study did not take into account the cumulative impact of the facility in the area.

Several residents, including Sea Bright Mayor Dina Long, expressed concern that a major storm on the magnitude of Hurricane Sandy three years ago could damage the terminal and create an environmental disaster for the region.

Christian Hartman, assistant vice president of he New Jersey Alliance for Action - an organization representing the business and labor sectors - said opponents "invoke the name of Hurricane Sandy a little too much," which drew groans from most of the crowd.

He said the storm actually exposed the weaknesses in the infrastructure of New Jersey's supply lines.

Erin Rice, a representative of New York-based local 825 of Operating Engineers, said the project would mean more than 800 construction jobs and permanent employment at good-paying salaries.

"It isn't just about temporary jobs. It's about keeping our economy moving," Rice said.

Fishing advocates like John Toth, who represents the Jersey Coast Anglers Association, said 20 miles of marine habitat would be destroyed with the dredging of the ocean floor to install the pipeline for the terminal.  Fishing vessels would be prohibited from the area once the terminal is built.

Two hearings were already held in New York on Monday and Tuesday. The final public hearing on the  environmental impact statement is tonight at 6 p.m. at the Sheraton in Eatontown.

MARAD has 90 days from this final public hearing to decide whether to approve Liberty's application.

Authorities say an 8-year-old girl was grazed by a bullet in her Asbury Park home during a gun battle between a police officer and a suspect.

ASBURY PARK — Ladesha Hare was watching television in her living room when she heard gunshots near her Avenue A home.

"I heard pow, pow, pow, then a hesitation, then pow, pow, pow," said Hare, 53.

Hare and her husband, Derek Reevey, 52, live right next door to where officials say an 8-year-old girl was grazed by a bullet in her home Wednesday night.

Authorities say one man was shot in an officer-involved shooting shortly after 7 p.m. in the area of Springwood and Avenue A. On Thursday afternoon, about 15 investigators were at the scene, combing through a dirt field adjacent to an abandoned building, a former sports bar.

PREVIOUS: Girl, 8, shot during gun battle between police officer and suspect

Reevey, who works the night shift at a nearby department store, said he was sleeping when he heard the gunshots.

"It woke me right out of my sleep, that's how loud it was," he said. "When she (his wife) heard the shots, she ducked to the floor."

Reevey, standing on the porch of his home, pointed to the side of his house where he said a bullet pierced the brick wall. "This is too close to home right now," he said. "You're supposed to be safe in your home, you can't even be safe in your own home."

Hare, Reevey's wife, said the couple has lived at their home for 13 years and that she's seen a lot of things but nothing this terrible.

Her husband was in shock when he saw how many cops responded to the scene.

"I've never seen so many cops in my life, so you know it was bad," he said.

First Assistant Monmouth County Prosecutor Marc LeMieux said Officer Terrance McGhee was on patrol when he spotted a 20-year-old man at Springwood and Atkins avenues.

As McGhee approached the man, McGhee noticed he had a gun, LeMieux said. That's when the man ran from McGhee, heading west on Springwood Avenue towards Avenue A, where the man opened fire with a 9-mm semi-automatic Smith and Wesson, LeMieux said.

McGhee returned fire, striking the man, whose wounds were non-life-threatening, LeMieux said.

Authorities have not said why the officer approached the man or how many rounds were fired during the exchange.

Reevey, the neighbor, said he heard about five or six shots.

Officials say the 8-year-old girl was discovered wounded following the shooting. Rev. Kevin Nunn, whose parish is down the street from where the girl lived on Borden Avenue, said the girl was watching "Ghostbusters" on television when a bullet grazed her head.

"She just fell back," Nunn said. "She was shaking so bad."

Neighbors who lived across the street said the girl's mother was shouting "my baby, my baby got shot."

When 26-year-old Kyraun Wilson, who lives across the street, heard that, he ran to a police officer and told him a little girl had been hit.

"The mother had a towel wrapped around her head," Wilson said. "So I ran over to get the cops."

McGhee, the officer, was unhurt but was hospitalized per procedure when an officer is involved in a shooting, authorities also said.

Alex Napoliello may be reached at anapoliello@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @alexnapoNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Every time staff went out, the animals wouldn't let them get close enough to corral them, officials said.

WALL -- The pair of goats that has been evading animal protection officers for weeks around the Garden State Parkway has finally been captured.

Only, those four-legged creatures aren't goats.

Turns out they're sheep.

"When we were finally able to get close to them, we were able to see that they're sheep," said Ronnie Ehrenspeck, general manager for the Monmouth County branch of the Associated Humane Societies of New Jersey.

For the past two months, the humane societies sporadically received calls from people reporting spotting two goats on the side of the Parkway by Exit 100. First they were on the southbound side but eventually they wound up on the northbound side, Ehrenspeck said.

Every time staff went out, the animals wouldn't let them get close enough to corral them, she said.

MORE: Baaaad boys: Elusive goats have become Parkway attraction

Then the humane societies devised a plan. After implementing it earlier this week, they had their prey captured by 7 a.m. Thursday.

A helpful neighbor agreed to let his yard become the trap, Ehrenspeck said.

Humane societies stsaff spent almost an entire day building a pen that they could slowly shrink in size within the yard, Ehrenspeck said.

Using alfalfa and goat feed as the bait, humane societies staff set up a feeding station in the pen.

First the white sheep - believed to be the mother - squeezed her way through a hole in the neighbor's fence to get to the food. After a while, the baby - a black sheep - came looking for her mother and wandered through the same hole, Ehrenspeck said.

Slowly, staff shrunk the enclosure until the sheep were contained in a 10-by-6 foot pen, she said.

The first surprise was finding out the "goats" were actually sheep.

Then came the next surprise: The mama sheep is pregnant, Ehrenspeck said..

Nobody knows where the sheep used to call home, so for now they're stasying put, he said.

At least until the mother gives birth, the mother and her daughter will be taking up residence at the humane societies' Tinton Falls site, Ehrenspeck said.

MaryAnn Spoto may be reached at mspoto@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @MaryAnnSpoto. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

A teen driver was killed Thursday morning when the vehicle she was driving crashed into a tree on Interstate 195.

UPPER FREEHOLD - A teen driver was killed Thursday morning when the vehicle she was driving crashed into a tree on Interstate 195.

Shortly after 10:30 a.m., State Police were called to Interstate 195 in Upper Freehold for a single-car crash into the woods.

 

A 17-year-old female was driving 2001 Toyota Camry eastbound in the left lane of the highway near mile marker 9 when she suddenly failed to maintain control of the vehicle, state police Sgt. 1st Class Gregory Williams said.

The vehicle began to rotate in a southeastern direction before it exited off the right side of the roadway with its driver's side leading and struck a tree, Williams said.

The driver - whose identity was withheld pending notification of next of kin - was pronounced dead at the scene at 10:59 a.m., authorities said.

No one else was in the vehicle at the time of the crash, Williams said.

The New Jersey State Police Fatal Accident Investigation and Crime Scene units, as well as the New Jersey Department of Transportation, responded to the scene.

The right lane of Interstate 195 was closed during the accident investigation.

The crash was still being investigated as of 4:30 p.m., Williams said.

Rob Spahr may be reached at rspahr@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TheRobSpahr. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

The possible firing of three employees at Lutheran Social Ministries of New Jersey has generated heated opinions

Thursday's story about three women who say they expect to be fired for refusing to get a flu shot or wear a surgical mask in their office has generated hundreds of comments and heated opinions on NJ.com.

Megan Duncan, Alanda Watson and Denise Mercurius say they are careful about what they put into their bodies and are deeply opposed to receiving the flu vaccine, a requirement under a new policy put in place by their employer, Lutheran Social Ministries of New Jersey.

As an alternative, the women could wear a mask while at work during flu season, but they are opposed to that option as well, saying it is embarrassing and sets them apart from their colleagues.

Related: They said no to company-mandated flu shot and now fear firing. Here's why.

They contend that because they have no contact with clients of the non-profit social service agency, they are not a risk. The agency's president counters that some people in the office frequently visit nursing homes and other sites where they come into contact with people who have compromised immune systems, raising the specter of cross-contamination.

In addition, the president said, families sometimes come into the Burlington Township office in connection with the agency's adoption service. She calls the mandate a common-sense safety measure.

Duncan, Watson and Mercurius expect to learn their fate Friday morning, when they are scheduled to meet with a company executive.

Some readers applauded the women for taking a stand against what they see as a personal intrusion into their private lives. Others said public safety must trump the employees' personal choices and castigated the women for declining to wear masks as a reasonable alternative.

Here are two views:

Ed Zachary

It is insane that any job in the U.S. requires the workers be routinely injected with drugs/chemicals.  Who owns our bodies?  Our employer? The government?

JosieMB

If a healthcare company requires its medical employees to get a flu shot, it only seems fair to ask the office people to do the same.  The mask alternative is a fair accommodation for those who prefer not to get shots.  The organization has a responsibility to protect medical clients and patients from exposure to the flu.

Do these workers deserve to be fired? Cast your vote to show where you stand.

Politics and lots of pizza make appearances in this week's test of how well you know New Jersey news.

It's been a busy week in New Jersey what with the president stopping by Monday, the elections Tuesday and conflicting pizza rankings that threw everyone for a loop this week. Have you got your head on straight for this week's NJ.com News Quiz? The seven questions below were culled from this week's most popular NJ.com news stories. Once you're finished, share your score in comments to see how you stack up with other NJ.com readers. And remember, we're all on the honor system here: No Googling allowed.

Dante Allen, 20, was charged with attempted murder, possession of an unlawful weapon and possession of a weapon for unlawful purpose. Watch video

ASBURY PARK -- A 20-year-old city resident faces attempted murder charges after authorities say he shot at a police officer during a foot chase Wednesday night.

Dante Allen, who was struck during the gun battle, remains in stable condition at a local hospital, said acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher Gramiccioni. He was charged with attempted murder, unlawful possession of a weapon and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.

Gramiccioni said they have clear evidence that the suspect had a gun, and fired first.

"We have recovered a video recording that clearly indicates Allen was the first one to fire shots at the officer," he said.

Allen was charged in April with possession of cocaine, possession of heroin, tampering with evidence and obstructing. He pleaded guilty in August to the heroin possession charge and was sentenced on Oct. 22 to a year's probation, according to court records.

Gramiccioni said an 8-year-old girl who was in her Borden Avenue home was "struck and grazed in the forehead" by a stray bullet. "Thankfully, she was treated and released with minor injuries," the prosecutor said at a press conference held across the street from the young girl's home. 

RELATED: 'You can't even be safe in your own home,' neighbor says after girl, 8, hit by bullet

Gramiccioni did not say whose bullet hit the girl, adding that it remains under investigation. A bullet hole in the rear of the girl's home was marked near a window where neighbors say her room is. 

Neighbors and community leaders on Thursday afternoon were still in shock as they recalled the moments after the shooting.

"This is too close to home right now," one neighbor, Derek Reevey, 52, said. "You're supposed to be safe in your home, you can't even be safe in your own home."

Reverend Kevin Nunn, whose parish is down the street from where the girl lives, said she was watching "Ghostbusters" on television when the bullet hit her.

At around 7:19 p.m., an officer driving by the area of Springwood and Atkins avenues saw Allen and made a "lawful investigatory stop" of him, Gramiccioni said.

The officer, Terrence McGhee, patted Allen down and felt a gun on him, Gramiccioni said. McGhee is a full-time Asbury Park police officer. Gramiccioni said he couldn't comment on whether Allen was known to McGhee.

Allen then took off on foot and McGhee chased him through a dirt field adjacent to an abandoned building. Allen then turned around and fired a 9mm semi-automatic Smith & Wesson "more than once" at McGhee, Gramiccioni said. McGhee returned fire, striking Allen. The two were about 15 feet apart from each other.

McGhee was unhurt but was taken to the hospital as an administrative procedure.

Also keeping with police protocol, McGhee was placed on paid administrative leave until the prosecutor's Professional Responsibility Bureau conducts an investigation, Gramiccioni said.   

The Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office's Major Crimes Bureau is handling the investigation of the shooting.

Authorities asked anyone with information to contact prosecutors Detective Michael Bonanno at 800-533-7443.

Alex Napoliello may be reached at anapoliello@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @alexnapoNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

The Monmouth County man was convicted of abusing his power of attorney to collect the pension even after his godfather's widow died

ALBANY -- The Monmouth County godson of a deceased Port Authority employee faces up to seven years in prison after admitting he cashed $78,000 in pension checks following the death of his godfather and his godfather's widow, officials said.

Terence Fitzpatrick, 53, of Tinton Falls, pleaded guilty Thursday in New York State Supreme Court in Albany to a charge of attempted grand larceny, the state attorney, General Eric Schneiderman, announced. 

Fitzpatrick faces between 28 months and 7 years prison when sentenced, Schneiderman said in a joint announcement with New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli.

RELATED: 2 from N.J. charged with stealing dead relatives' pensions

The bi-state Port Authority pays into, and its employees are paid out of, the New York State and Local Employees Retirement System, regardless of where the employees lived while working for the agency. 

Fitzpatrick, who had power of attorney over the affairs of his retired godfather, Thomas Sullivan, failed to notify pension officials of Sullivan's death in 2003, Scheiderman said.

He said Fitzpatrick also kept silent on the death of Sullivan's widow three years later, and instead began keeping the pension payments for himself, illegally pocketing a total of $78,000 between Nov. 1, 2006 and Aug. 31, 2012.

 

Three employees of a social service agency say they expect to be fired when their week-long suspension ends.

Three office workers for a social service agency said Friday they have been suspended without pay for a week for refusing to comply with their company's new flu-prevention protocols, which require them to receive a flu shot or or wear a surgical mask in the workplace.

Unless the agency changes its policy, the women said, they expect to be fired when the suspension is complete.

Megan Duncan, Alanda Watson and Denise Mercurius -- whose case was profiled by NJ Advance Media Thursday -- said they were informed of the discipline during a meeting at their Burlington Township office building, the headquarters for Lutheran Social Ministries of New Jersey.

The agency, which runs two nursing homes, an adoption agency and an array of other services throughout the state, implemented the policy for all employees to reduce the risk of sickening clients, some of whom are under stress or have compromised immune systems, the agency's president has said.

RELATED: They said no to company-mandated flu shot and now fear firing. Here's why.

Duncan, Watson and Mercurius, who have worked at the agency for years, say they should not be forced to receive the flu vaccine, and they contend that wearing a mask in an office setting is embarrassing, ostracizing and impractical.

In individual meetings with the women Friday morning, the agency's director of human resources told them they are valued employees and asked them to reconsider their opposition to the surgical mask, the women said. All three said they remain firm in their resistance, even if it means they will be fired.

"If nobody ever stood up for something, this country wouldn't be where it is today," said Watson, 36, a mother of four from Willingboro. "Every time you stand up for what you believe in, it's a sacrifice, and in this case it's our jobs.

A Google street view image of the Burlington Township headquarters of Lutheran Social Ministries of New Jersey 

"There are things more important than my job," she added. "My body is of paramount importance."

The three women are employed as accountants or billing specialists in the headquarters, where 32 people work.

Colleen Frankenfield, Lutheran Social Ministries' president, said earlier this week that about half of those in the office frequently visit the agency's nursing homes and other facilities, raising the possibility of cross-contamination.

Frankenfield did not immediately return a call for comment Friday.

Mercurius, 45, of Maple Shade, said the human resources director did not explicitly say she would be fired at the end of the suspension, which runs from Monday to Friday next week. But Mercurius said she expects that will be the outcome unless Lutheran Social Ministries changes course.

"By telling us we have to wear the mask, that's not really giving us a reasonable alternative," she said. "I'm not going to change my mind."

Duncan, 30, of Howell, said the company is to inform the women of the "next step" when they return to work Nov. 16.

POLL: Should office workers be fired for not following flu-prevention protocol?

The women are among a growing number of employees facing termination across the nation for refusing to take the vaccine, which has been linked in very rare circumstances to serious illness.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and many other health agencies, including New Jersey's Department of Health, strongly recommend flu shots for all employees in health care settings, saying high compliance among workers has been proven to reduce hospitalizations and prevent deaths.

Yet some remain deeply suspicious of the vaccine and say they should not be forced to take it as a condition of employment. The rising mandates have led to lawsuits in several states.

Duncan, Watson and Mercurius say they are healthy women and are exceedingly careful about what they put into their bodies. They also argue the vaccine is not always effective against various flu strains.

"People who get the vaccine can still get sick," Duncan said. "So if they're so concerned about the flu, then everyone should wear the mask in the office."

Mark Mueller may be reached at mmueller@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MarkJMueller. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

State Police have identified the victim of a fatal single-car crash on Interstate 195 on Thursday as a Mercer County teen.

UPPER FREEHOLD — State Police have identified the victim of a fatal crash on Interstate 195 on Thursday as a Mercer County teen.

Shortly after 10:30 a.m., State Police were called to Interstate 195 in Upper Freehold for a single-car crash into the woods.

RELATED: Girl, 17, killed in crash on I-195

A 2001 Toyota Camry was traveling eastbound in the left lane of the highway near mile marker 9 when it suddenly failed to maintain control of the vehicle, State Police spokesman Sgt. 1st Class Gregory Williams said on Thursday afternoon.

The driver was identified as 17-year-old Amber Mohr, of Hamilton, State Police spokesman Capt. Stephen Jones said on Friday.

The cause of the crash will still under investigation at that time, Jones said.

However, Jones said the vehicle was traveling in the left lane when it veered onto the rumble strips lining the side of the roadway and then back to right into the lanes of travel. The roadway was also wet at the time of the crash, he said.

The vehicle then began to rotate in a southeastern direction before it exited off the right side of the roadway with its driver's side leading and struck a tree, State Police said.

Mohr was pronounced dead at the scene at 10:59 a.m., authorities said.

No one else was in the vehicle at the time of the crash, Williams said.

The New Jersey State Police Fatal Accident Investigation and Crime Scene units, as well as the New Jersey Department of Transportation, responded to the scene.

The right lane of Interstate 195 was closed during the accident investigation.

Rob Spahr may be reached at rspahr@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TheRobSpahr. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Amber Mohr, 17, was a student at Hamilton High School West. She died Thursday morning when he car struck a tree off eastbound Interstate 195 in Upper Freehold.

HAMILTON -- Friends of a Hamilton teenager killed in a car crash have set up a Facebook page in her memory.

Amber Mohr, 17, was a student at Hamilton High School West. She died Thursday morning when her car struck a tree off Interstate 195 in Upper Freehold.

"Lets all remember Amber and celebrate what a beautiful, vibrant, and funny girl she was and help her family along the way," one of the post's says.

Mohr's friends held a candlelight vigil at Hamilton West Friday night as well, they said.

The page says her friends are coordinating meal donations for her family, and any other assistance they can provide, like gift cards or just cookies and cupcakes. The friends say they also want to plan a benefit event, with music bands and possibly a gift auction.

"So anything you can help with is appreciated by all including her two best friends who are so saddened by this horrific tragedy," the page says.

Hamilton West parents said the school offered grief counseling for students Friday.

RELATED: Authorities ID teen killed in I-195 crash

Hamilton schools were closed Thursday and Friday like most public schools around the state for the teachers' union conference in Atlantic City.

The New Jersey State Police have said Mohr's car was in the left lane of the highway near mile marker 9 when it suddenly went out of control on a wet road.

It veered onto the rumble strips lining the side of the road and then back to right and started to spin before it left the road and crashed into tree with its driver-side door, police said.

Mohr died at the scene.

The crash remained under investigation Friday.

Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@kevintshea. Find The Times of Trenton on Facebook.

Neighborhood near police station was in lock down for hours Friday night

UNION BEACH -- A man was in custody late Friday night following a standoff with police, according to app.com.

File Photo 

A neighborhood around Poole Avenue and Stone Road was locked down as officers tried to negotiate with the man Friday.

Danielle Ponnwitz, who lives near the Dibling Street home where the standoff occurred, told NJ Advance Media police came to her door and asked her to lock up and shut the windows.

"They were talking over the loudspeaker. They were saying 'we're not going anywhere,' 'come out with your hands up,'" said Ponnwitz, adding that she later saw a police officer in a bulletproof vest with a large gun near the house.

Ponnwitz said police later came back to her door around 10 p.m. and told her she and her family needed to evacuate.

Police have been to the address at least once before when the man had barricaded himself inside, shortly after Ponnwitz moved in next door in 2012.

"This is not the first time this has happened," Ponnwitz said from a bowling alley where she and her family waited for police to give the all-clear. "This is the first time we had to evacuate though."

The person was not identified and no charges are expected, app.com also reported.

Paul Milo may be reached at pmilo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @PaulMilo2. FindNJ.com on Facebook

 

Do you know the difference between these animals? If you think so take the quiz.

WALL -- For weeks, motorists reported seeing two goats on the Garden State Parkway.

First, drivers saw them on the south side of the Parkway near Exit 100 in Monmouth County, then they saw the animals on the north side.

MORE: These elusive Parkway baaad boys turned out to be sheep

On Thursday, the staff at the Monmouth County branch of the Associated Humane Societies successfully captured the elusive animals by using alfalfa and goat feed as bait.

The only problem: They weren't goats.

They're sheep.

Would you have been fooled into thinking they were goats, too? Just how well do you know your animals? Take our quiz to find out, and share your score in the comments.

The officer was taken to the hospital with head, shoulder and knee injuries after he was hit in front of Shore Regional High School at 9:23 p.m., authorities said.

File photo 

WEST LONG BRANCH -- A West Long Branch police officer was injured when he was hit by a car Friday night while he was directing traffic outside a high school football game.

Sgt. Brian Kramer was taken to the hospital with head injuries after he was hit on Parker Road in front of Shore Regional High School at 9:23 p.m., said First Assistant Monmouth County Prosecutor Marc LeMieux.

While directing traffic on the road, Kramer was hit by a 2010 Hyundai Elantra driven by a 21-year-old man, LeMieux said.

MORE: MONMOUTH COUNTY NEWS

The impact threw Kramer into the car's windshield, breaking the glass, he said. Kramer landed in the middle of the road, he said.

Officers on the scene attended to him before first aid personnel from West Long Branch and MONOC arrived on the scene.

Kramer was taken by ambulance to the hospital where he was treated for a "significant" head cut, facial cuts and "multiple" injuries to his left shoulder, knee and fingers, LeMieux said.

Members of the prosecutor's office's Serious Collision Analysis Response Team processed the scene.

Anyone with information about the crash may call prosecutor's Detective Eric Kerecman at 800-533-7443.

No charges have been filed at this time, LeMieux said. He said authorities initially detained the driver of the Elantra but are waiting until the investigation is completed to release his identity.

Shore Regional was playing Asbury Park High School.

Officer Brian Kramer of @WLBPD was hit by a car outside of Shore Regional pic.twitter.com/7hyLWw7ZKN

-- The Link News (@TheLinkNews) November 7, 2015

MaryAnn Spoto may be reached at mspoto@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @MaryAnnSpoto. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

 

Authorities said the car struck the guardrail of the southbound lanes when the driver failed to maintain control of the vehicle.

 

IRVINGTON -- A woman from Orange was driving drunk when she crashed her car into a guardrail on the Garden State Parkway in Irvington, seriously injuring herself and her passenger early Saturday morning, authorities said.

Crystal Simmons, 43, was charged with driving while intoxicated and assault by auto for the crash that occurred at 1:18 a.m. at milepost 143.6 of the parkway, said Sgt. Gregory Williams, a New Jersey State Police spokesman.

MORE: NEW JERSEY NEWS

Williams said the impact ejected Simmons' passenger, Heather Brown, 35, of Shrewsbury, from the 2006 Chevrolet Malibu.

He said the car struck the guardrail of the southbound lanes when the driver failed to maintain control of the vehicle.

Both women were taken to University Hospital in Newark with serious injuries, Williams said.

MaryAnn Spoto may be reached at mspoto@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @MaryAnnSpoto. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

 

Police are saying little about the early-morning incident and it could not immediately be determined whether RZA, whose real name is Robert Fitzgerald Diggs, was home at the time.

Rza of Wu-Tang Clan, speaks during an interview at the Royalton Hotel in New York in this 1998 file photo. His Millstone home was the site of a double stabbing. (Patti Sapone | New Jersey News Photos) 

MILLSTONE -- Authorities are investigating a double stabbing that occurred early Saturday morning at the Millstone home of rapper RZA.

Police are saying little about the early-morning incident and it could not immediately be determined whether RZA, whose real name is Robert Fitzgerald Diggs, was home at the time.

New Jersey State Police responded to a report of a stabbing at a Deer Trail Drive home at 1:18 a.m. on Saturday, said Sgt. Gregory Williams, a State Police spokesman.

RELATED: Killa feez: Wu-Tang Clan only selling one copy of secret album

When authorities arrived, they found two men stabbed, he said.

He said the two men sustained serious injuries and were taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune. The hospital did not have a patient named Robert Diggs there on Saturday.

RZA is founder of the Wu-Tang Clan, a Staten Island-based group that broke into the rap scene in 1993. He has produced nearly all of the group's albums and many of its members' solo works.

Williams did not provide details of the incident and would not confirm the name of the homeowner, but property records show the 7,934-square-foot house, set far back in the woods off Deer Trail Drive, is owned by Diggs.

Williams said the investigation by the department's Major Crimes Unit is continuing.

According to newly released documents from the federal trial of two Staten Island drug kingpins, the FBI was investigating whether the Wu-Tang Clan in 1999 ordered the killings of two drug dealers.  

MaryAnn Spoto may be reached at mspoto@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @MaryAnnSpoto. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

 

At around 9:15 p.m., Officer Christopher Mirrione of the Deal Police Department attempted to pull over reckless driver traveling northbound on Norwood Avenue, Sgt. Brian Egan said in a news release.

Officer Christopher Mirrione of the Deal Police Department attempted to pull over a "reckless driver" who was traveling northbound on Norwood Avenue, police said. (File photo). 

DEAL -- A Neptune man was arrested Friday after he caused a car crash while trying to speed away from the cops, police said.

At around 9:15 p.m., Officer Christopher Mirrione of the Deal Police Department attempted to pull over a "reckless driver" who was traveling northbound on Norwood Avenue, Sgt. Brian Egan said in a news release.

Egan said the car was traveling at a high rate of speed and accelerated after Mirrione activated his emergency lights in an attempt to stop the driver.

The driver, later identified as Bobby W. Stafford, Jr., 42, of Neptune, caused a motor-vehicle collision on Norwood Avenue between Roosevelt and Jerome avenues, Egan said. Mirrione and two other officers were able to arrest Stafford after the crash, according to Egan.

Stafford and another person in the crash were taken to the hospital, but Egan did not say anything about their condition.

Officer Mirrione also suffered minor injuries during the incident.

Stafford was charged with eluding, assault by auto, obstruction of justice, disorderly person and possession of drugs.

He was taken to the Monmouth County jail and bail was set at $25,000. 

Alex Napoliello may be reached at anapoliello@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @alexnapoNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

 

Will Purcell, VFW Post 2179 commander, said he expected about a thousand people to line the streets for the parade.

MIDDLETOWN -- From Korean War and Vietnam veterans to local Cub and Boy Scouts groups, more than 25 organizations marched through the streets for the 58^th annual Veterans Day parade.

Will Purcell, VFW Post 2179 commander, said he expected about a thousand people to line the streets for the parade. On the parade route's main artery, Leonardville Road, revelers waved American flags and cheered for the participants.

"We're so supportive of the veterans, as we should be," said Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden, who marched in the parade. "I'm really glad to see there's a lot of scouting troops and (marching) bands, so it's good for the young adults in our community to come out and see the support for our veterans."

RELATED: Veterans to get discounts at Monmouth County businesses

The parade, only the second held since Hurricane Sandy, kicked off at the Bayview Elementary School and finished at the VFW Post 2179 headquarters on Veterans Lane.

"I think it's a great thing, it's great for the community and children," said parade Chairman Bud Force.

Purcell, the post commander, says the parade helps "build camaraderie" in the community.

In its 58^th year, the Middletown Veterans Day parade, always held on Sunday, has had a few mishaps since Sandy. The parade was cancelled in the aftermath of the hurricane and in 2014, construction along the parade route prevented it from happening. The parade did happen in 2013, however.

Coleen and Doug Castle, who live just off Leonardville Road, have been coming for 25 years.

"It's really nice to see them come back," Coleen Castle said, as she held her granddaughter, Madison. Madison was waving to the police vehicles and fire trucks as they drove by.

"It's a nice parade," Castle continued. "It's a good time to say thank you to those who served and all those who volunteer their time."

Marie Messich has lived on 9th Street, just a couple blocks from Bayview School, for 22 years. She said she tries to attend the parade every year, but she's missed a couple since moving to town for work or other obligations.

"I think it helps the community," Messich said. "The children, adults, neighbors - they do want to support our veterans."

Along with the local scouting groups, members of the U.S.  Naval Weapons Station Earle base marched in the parade and marching bands from Middletown North and South high schools. The New Jersey Junior Youth Titans hockey team also walked in the parade.

Charles Gallagher and Kristan Purcell were the parade's grand marshals. 

Alex Napoliello may be reached at anapoliello@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @alexnapoNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.